Ken "Burnie Mac" Burney, Artist

Hello and welcome to my blog. This is my first posting...I haven't given it a great deal of thought to the direction and content of this post other than wanting to share with readers something about myself and why I am an "Artist".

I have been putting pencil to paper as long as I can remember

...hmmm :::Thought Bubble here:::

My third grade teacher contacted my mother and told her I was a good student but I spent a great deal of time drawing and daydreaming.

:::Thought Bubble burst:::

I'm still drawing and daydreaming.

There have been many bumps along the way and I can honestly say that I knew then what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, be an Artist.

It makes little sense in my world now the number of times I've been told to get a real job. I've had real jobs. I've had good jobs and I have had some real ish jobs. Nothing has made me more happier, created more opportunity and has allowed me to become a more accomplished artist than the people I have come across in my lifetime who supported and encouraged me...this has empowered me and enlightened me.

Becoming an artist has not been some wonderful dreamed obtained. At 48 years old, my life has been filled with ups and downs, success and failure, addiction and sobriety, good and bad relationships and last but not least :::pause...stare...slight grin::: children. So, I'm pretty normal :::thinking...::: Well, I'm pretty normal for the life I've been living; I am not a Sam's Club Republican and I am not a tree hugging Democrat...but enough about politics.

:::eye roll:::

So, here I am tonight typing my first blog on B Sting Studios...Yay! (anyway) Here's the soundbite run down on my becoming a Body Artist. My wife (Claudia Mair Burney - writer, blogs on ragamuffin diva...shameless plug) put the idea in my head three years ago or was it four? I wanted to create hip hop music with her nephew so I paid little attention to the idea. I pumped a lot of money into music equipment and took a few classes at a community college...I lost a lot of interest in the business when the nephew decided to use the bank card and checks to have his own private party (guess he thought he was Jay Z). Not much came of the music other than a greater appreciation and respect for hard working musicians. I learned to bang out tracks on an Akai MPC and a little piano skills honed.

A neighbor and friend in Ann Arbor, MI, who has many tattoos would encourage me from time to time to become a body artist, but I always thought it would be too much time and trouble. It wasn't until we moved this past year to Inkster, MI that I would begin an exhaustive research and study on the Art of Tattoing. A year had passed before I put my hands on my first tattoo machine...it felt akward in my hands at first. I talked to some very accomplished body artist for advice...some open...and some...hmmm...cordial.

It has been a difficult year in the pursuit of happiness. Physically I feel like the Sixty-Thousand Dollar Man, "We can rebuild him..." Having had some major surgeries spread out over a decade, I am in pain everyday...just tolerent of it more than I let anyone really know. Today has to be best I've felt about being an artist in a very long time and I am grateful. There were three major benefactors that helped me start this new and fantastic artistic career...and I am so very thankful.

I'm working on an apprenticeship at Tattoo Studio in Detroit. The owner has seen my work and is open to teaching me. I know that apprenticeships are not cheap, but I am confident that I can hold my own. I'm looking to turn this into something long term. Unfortunately, my good fortune does not come with obstacles...I'm in search of an :::ahem::: affordable vehicle. So as it has been with the beginning of my new artistic endeavor...slow.

Thats the sound bite opener for my blog and the adventures of a body artist. I'd like to continue to share with you some of my stories and much of my art. Thanks for reading and check back soon.

Ken "Burnie Mac" Burney